Coin selector



ABS-v10, 1943 v Jv. GQTTFRIED 2,326,214

GOIN SELECTOR Filed Aprn 21, 19111` 2 sheets-sheet 1' y a i I f a INVENTOIL y Aug. 1o, 1943. J4. Gn'TTFRlED COIN SELECTOR Filed April 21V, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 10, 1943 COIN SELECTOR John Gottfried, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to National Slug Rejectors, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application April 21, 1941, Serial No.'389,539

2 Claims.

tion to be hereinafter described, in addition to attaining increased efficiency, the apparatus may be coniined in a relatively small space, which fullls one of the principal objects of the invention.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sensitive adjustment whereby spurious coins having extremely close physical characteristics to that of genuine coins are eiiiciently separated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and effective means for scavenging defective or spurious coins retained in D the device.'

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel pole piece through which a single permanent magnet of relatively small size is utilized to test coins for conductivity.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of elements described, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanyingr drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the coin selector.

I is a support for all of the elements of the coin selector. Gate 2 is pivotally mounted to the main plate at'pivot lugs 3 and 4 and normally urged in close proximity to plate I by spring 5 coiled about pivot lug 3, having its opposite ends retained by the plate I and the face of the gate 2 respectively secured to the plate, thus providing a coin passageway between the inside surface of the gate 2 and the inside surface of the main plate I, l

An adjustable coin runway 6 is secured to the lower end of the gate 2 by screws 11, a project-ion of which provides a lower surface in the coin passageway between the gate 2 and the plate I, over which coins of proper diameter are caused to pass under the iniiuence of gravity.

Fig. 'I shows a paramagnetic pole piece 8 removed from the rejector and illustrates the poles A8N and 8S integral therewith.

Referring to the sectional view, Fig. 3, pole piece 8 is secured to the main platev I by stud 32 and screw 34 and has its two poles 8N and 8S projecting through apertures in the main plate I, the said poles positioned in' the same plane as the inside surface of the plate. Magnet-9 is positioned opposite pole piece 8 by offset bracket I0 secured to the plate I, shown in Fig. 1. The two poles of the magnet 9 are similar in size and positioned directly opposite the poles of the pole piece 8 and spaced suciently apart to provide free passage of coins there-between.

Thus, two paths of intense iiux density are provided across thecoin passageway. The projec- Fig.'2 is the opposite side elevation of the selector shown in Fig, l.

Fig; 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the coin selector taken lsubstantially through the section line a-a, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3 with certain elements in their displaced positions.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 taken substantially through section line lar-b, Fig. 3, exposing the internal parts of the selector in their normal positions.'

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the coin selector as shown in Fig. 1 taken through section line c--c, Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe pole piece.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the magnet.

Referring yto Fig. 1, the frame, or main plate,

a tion I I, Fig, 3, of the adjustable runway E serves as a bottom surface for the aforementioned coin passageway.

Coin separators prior to this invention utilize two separate magnets positioned opposite each coins impinged thereupon and will be hereinafter described.

Hopper I3, Figs, l and 3, is provided to serve as one of the exit passageways for rejectedv coins. Lateral guide I4, integral with the main plate, is positioned in the path of certain rejected coins to displace them into the rejection hopper.

Fig. 5 Ashows an internal view of the plate I with the various essential coin testing elements in their normal relative positions. The dotted line starting at the point of coin entry at the upper 1eft-hand portion of the'iigure and continuing through the device describes the path of Atravel of a normally acceptable coin to the acceptance outlet at I5.

A counterweighted rocker I6 is pivotally mounted to the main plate at I1 (best shown in Figs. 2 and 5), and provided with projections I8 and I9 extending into the coin entrance passageway for. the purpose of rejecting undersized coins. The projections I 8 and I9 are spaced to provide free passage there-between of coins having diameters less than that of acceptable coins. Thus, if an undersized coin is deposited in the entrance passageway it will pass between the projections I8 and I9 and impinge upon the lateral guide I4 and fall into the rejection hopper I3, shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

Wiper blade 2I, Fig. 5, is pivotally mountedto the main plate I at 22 and is normally urged into the position shown by spring 21 to be hereinafter described. The lower edge of the wiper blade 2| is normally positioned with respect to projection I I to permit free passage thereby of coins having proper diameter. It is apparent that when a coin is deposited having a diameter larger than that of an acceptable coin it will lodge be tween the blade 2I and projection I I. Means for dislodging coins thus arrested will be hereinafter described.

The lateral abutment 23 is formed from an integral projection from the back plate I as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 and is provided to impart lateral movement to rejected coins having relatively highvconductivity, the action of which will be apparent from the following description.

Referring to Fig. 5 and assuming that an acceptable coin is deposited into the passageway at the upper left-hand opening in the device, it will first impinge upon projections IB and I9 and, by the action of gravity, the rocker I6 will rotate in a clockwise direction around the pivot I1 and deliver the moving coin into the aforementioned passageway upon the sloping projection II at a predetermined velocity, whereupon it will start its downward sloping descent rolling upon the projection II. During this latter movement the coin will intercept the two paths of concentrated magnetic flux supplied by the magnet 9 and the poles 8N and 8S of the pole piece 8, whereupon the ve locity of the coin will be retarded in proportion to its conductivity. As soon as the coin approaches its position of free trajectory at the right-handv end of the projection II, the action of gravity will impart an increased downward vertical component of motion to the coin, and thus ience in an arcuate path over an acceptance bar-4 rier 25 to the acceptance outlet at I5.

It will now become apparent that because of the relativelyshort coin trajectory provided (not more than approximately two and one half times the diameter of acceptable coins) the position of the lower end ofthe projection II with relation to the Aconcentrated ux paths and with relation tolthe surface of the anvil I2, is extremely criti- 08 Therefore, longitudinal adjustment has been provided for the projection I I by means of screws 1-1 and corresponding elongated holes in the runway B, shown ln Fig. 1. Through the action of this adjustment accurate differentiation between spurious coins having conductivity and resilience very close to the conductivity and resilience of acceptable coins may be accomplished even though the guided path and the free trajectory path of the coin are relatively short.

Thus one of the principal features of the present invention resides in the adjustment of the projection II with relation to the pole pieces 8N and 8S and the anvil I2, shown in Fig. 1.

In contradistinction to this invention, prior coin selectors, not having 'the previously-mentioned adjustable feature, were necessarily required to provide relatively long free coin trajectories, whereby the coin to be tested would be relatively free of horizontal components of motion proir to being impinged upon an anvil.

When coins having conductivity less than acceptable value are inserted in the device, it is apparent that the slowing eiect of the magnets will cause the coin to strike the anvil n2 at a. point higher than 24, and thus the coin will either rebound against abutment 23, Fig. 5, and be rejected, or fail to rebound suiciently far to clear the barrier 25, and thence fall into the rejection passageway 26.

When a coin having greater conductivity than the conductivity of an acceptable coin is passed through the device, the magnetic ilux will retard the velocity of the coin to a degree less than that of an acceptable coin and its trajectory upon leaving the projection I I will be sufciently short to cause the coin to strike the abutment 23, whereby it will be laterally deected into the rejection hopper I3, shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

A further feature of the invention is the novel simplified means employed in dis-lodging deformed coins or other debris which may have been deposited in the device and lodged in the coin passageway.

Referring to Fig. 2, the scavenging operating lever 21 is pivotally mounted at one end to the main plate I at 28 and retained in close proximity with the main plate by virtue of a pair of oiset ears 29-29, extending through an elongated aperture 30 in the main plate I. The lever 21 is normally urged inI its upward position, shown in ,full lines, Fig. 2, by contact with spring 3 I, which is retained in position by studs 32 and 33, better shownin Fig. 3.

Wiper blade 2I, Fig. 5, is pivotally mounted to the main plate I adjacent to the coin entr-ance passage at 22 and is provided with an integral projection 35 extending at right angles to the blade through an arcuate aperture 36.

The projection 35 normally lies in the downward path of a downward extension 31 of the lever 21, shown in Fig. 3. Lever 21 is also provided with a lateral cam projection 38 which normally extends above and over a horizontal surface 39 of the gate 2, shown ,in Figs. l and, 3. Thus, when the scavenger lever 21 is moved into a downward position, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, the extension 31 of lever 21 will contact the projection 35 of the wiper blade and cause the wiper blade to move clockwise about its pivot to a downward position, as shown in Fig. 6, which action will contact and dislodge any paramagnetic coins or materials suspended by the poles Shi-8S. When the wiper blade is held in its downward position, as shown in Fig. 6, it is obvious that any coins deposited will be blocked from traveling through the testing passageway and be immediately Aby-passed by virtue of the projection I4 into the rejection hopper I3, and be returned to the depositor. l

In addition to the aforesaid, during the downward movement of the lever 2l, the cam projection 38, Fig. 3, will engage the surface 39 of the gate 2, shown in Fig. 3, and move the gate about its pivots 3 and t to its outward position with projection Il out of contact with the ma frame, shown -in Fig. 4, thus dislodging any coins or other debris which may-have been lodged between the gate and the main frame. The scavenging operation, in addition to permitting articles retained therein to be cleared from the device, provides a blocking action, because of the position assumed by the wiper blade 2| when in its scavenged position, to prevent the possibility of fraudulent acceptance of defective coins during the scavenging operation.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus for selecting coinshaving different physical qualities, comprising a casing, a coin entrance in said casing, a coin runway, means located between said coin entrance and coin runway for causing a coin to reach said runway at a predetermined velocity, a magnet located in the path of coins moving along said runway, said runway having a terminus located in a position to permit a coin to fall by gravity, while the coin is still within the inuence of said magnet, into a free trajectory acceptance path or a free trajectory rejection path, and means to adjust the position of said' runway longitudinally of its length to thereby adjust said runway terminus with relation to the magnet.

2. An apparatus for selecting coins having different physical qualities comprising a casing, a coin entrance in said casing, a coin runway, means located between said coin entrance and coin runway for causing a coin to reach said runway at a predetermined velocity, a magnet located in the path of coins moved along said runway, said runway having a terminus located in a position to permit a coin to fall by gravity, While the coin is still within the inuence of said magnet, into a free trajectory acceptance path or a free trajectory rejection path, and means to adjust the distance between the magnet and the runway terminus along the path of the coin asit travels in said runway, to regulate the distance `between said magnet and the runway terminus.

JOHN' GO'I'IFRIED. 

